Travel 2015

Getting Here

By Air

Three major airports serve the Washington area: Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI). Reagan National Airport is the closest to Georgetown, and is the only one with metro access. Dulles Airport is the largest and has the most flights, especially for international travelers. BWI Airport is the farthest from DC (it is closer to Baltimore), but some airlines offer cheaper fares there.

All three of the airports have taxi service available at Ground Transportation and SuperShuttle, a door-to-door shared van-ride system. Check the SuperShuttle website (www.supershuttle.com) for fares and for the location of the SuperShuttle within the airport. The fare should be between $15-40 for the first passenger depending on your airport of arrival. Additional passengers are deeply discounted, so this is a good option if you are traveling in a group. No reservation is needed leaving from the airport. To take SuperShuttle back to the airport, reserve online or call 1 (800) BLUE-VAN (800-258-3826). Below you will find more airport-specific options.

IAD
From Washington Dulles

MetroBus 5A ($6) is an express bus from Dulles Airport to Rosslyn MetroRail Station and L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station (downtown DC). The bus leaves right outside the airport on the lower level (in Section E). To get to Georgetown University, get off the 5A at Rosslyn Metro stop. From Rosslyn, taxis and buses (GUTS, DC Circulator, or MetroBus 38B) will take you to Georgetown. (See Getting Around.)

Washington Flyer Coach is a coach bus to West Falls Church Metro Station (Orange Line). Their ticket counter is on the upper level, Door 4. Regular fare is approximately $10. Once you arrive at West Falls Church Metro Station, take the Orange Line (direction: New Carrollton) to Rosslyn, which is the nearest subway stop to Georgetown. From Rosslyn, there are buses and taxis that take you to Georgetown.

DCA
From Reagan National Airport

MetroRail’s Blue Line stops adjacent to Terminals B and C at National Airport. Take the Blue Line to Rosslyn (direction: Largo Town Center). From Rosslyn, buses (DC Circulator, MetroBus, or GUTS) and taxis will take you to the Georgetown area. (See Getting Around.) Alternatively, you can walk across Key Bridge.

BWI
From Baltimore-Washington International

— MetroBus —

MetroBus B30 ($6) runs between BWI and the Greenbelt Metro station (Green Line): PDF Timetable. There are two bus stops at BWI. One stop is on the lower level of the International Pier and the other is on the lower level of Concourse A/B. From Greenbelt Metro station, take the Green Line downtown. Change to the Orange or Blue line at L’Enfant Plaza (direction: Vienna on the Orange; Franconia/Springfield on the Blue) if you want to continue to Rosslyn, or change to the Red Line at Gallery Place/ Chinatown (direction: Shady Grove) if you want to continue to Dupont Circle. From Rosslyn or Dupont Circle, buses and taxis will take you to the Georgetown area (see Getting Around).

— MARC Train —

The Penn Line of the Maryland Transit Authority MARC trains runs from BWI to Union Station in DC. Fares are around $6. Check MTA website for schedules, price updates, and instructions for getting to the train stop. From Union Station, take the DC Circulator straight to Georgetown. Alternatively, take the Red Line to Dupont Circle (in the direction of Shady Grove) and catch a cab or bus (GUTS or MetroBus D2, G2, D6) from there.

— Amtrak —

Amtrak trains take you from BWI train station to Union Station in downtown DC. There are free shuttles from the airport to the BWI train station. For Amtrak schedules and information call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) or go to their website. The fare varies and will increase as your departure nears. It should start at $16 (check their website for price updates).

By Train

Trains from around the US arrive directly downtown at Union Station. Amtrak runs the largest passenger rail. However, if you are coming from Virginia or Maryland, consider commuter rails, as they tend to be much less expensive and are very reliable. The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) runs from Fredericksburg and Manassas on the weekdays, and has stops in Alexandria, VA and downtown DC. Note that they are uni-directional with commuter traffic and do not operate on weekends. MARC trains from Maryland to DC now offer a weekend service in addition to weekday service.

To get from Union Station to Georgetown, you can take a taxi or the DC Circulator bus straight to Georgetown. Alternatively, take the Metro Red Line in the direction of Shady Grove to Dupont Circle. From Dupont Circle, buses (see GUTS and WMATA MetroBus in the Getting Around section) and taxis will take you to the Georgetown area.

By Bus

Several major bus operators provide a thorough coverage of routes to DC from various cities in the US and are generally considerably less expensive than the Amtrak alternatives. Some of the operators provide free onboard WiFi and charging outlets. Tickets generally need to be purchased online in advance and certain departure times may sell out up to a few days before the trip so plan ahead. Many bus conductors will accept an email confimration of your ticket purchase on your mobile device screen as a boarding pass, so there is no need to print out the ticket.

The parking garage on the upper level of Union Station is a terminal hub for major bus operators in the region: Greyhound, Megabus, Boltbus, Peter Pan, and DC2NY. Ground transportation is accessbile from the lower levels of Union station. To get from Union Station to Georgetown, you can take a taxi or the DC Circulator bus straight to Georgetown. Alternatively, take the Metro Red Line in the direction of Shady Grove to Dupont Circle. From Dupont Circle, buses (see GUTS and WMATA MetroBus in the Getting Around section) and taxis will take you to the Georgetown area.